Post-office box and pigeon-hole



(No Model.)

A. F. DEMOREST. POST OPFIGE BOX AND PIGEON HOLE.

Patented Oct. 13, 1891. u

Illl

-Fl G- 2- IMWNEEEES- 'EM f` ns co mam-UTN UNITED STATES PATENT. EEICE.. l

ALBERT FREDERICK DEMORES'I, OF MUSCA'IINE, IOIA.

POST-OFFICE BOX AND PlGEON-HOLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,324, dated October 13, 1891.

Application filed April 17, 1891. Serial No. 389,332. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT FREDERICK DEMOREST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Oflice Boxes and Pigeon-Holes; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will' enable others skilled in the art to which it'appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in post-oiiice boxes and pigeon-holes; anditconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter, and particularly referred to in the claims.

The object of my invention is to produce a slide which is to be used in connection with post-office boxes or pigeon-holes, and which will enable a clerk in a post-office to see at a glance the names 'of all of the persons whose mail should be deposited in the box, andthus save much time and trouble, to prevent mistakes from being made in the distribution of mail-matter, and to enable a person to quickly see what the contents of a pigecn-hole are without having to remove it.

` Figure lis an end view of two boxes to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective oi' the slide and showing one of the cards in place.

A represents two post-office boxes or pigecn-holes, and the dix-iding-partition B between them is made slightly thicker than usual, and in this partition is formed a pocket C, in which the slide D is placed. This slide can be made of tin, Wood, or any other suitable substance, and is provided with a suitable pocket or holder G at its outer end to re- Ceive a card or strip upon which the numbers of the two boxes will be marked, the upper number designating the box upon the right and the lowernumber the box on theleft. This arrangement of the numbers enables a clerk of the box in which the mail is to be deposited, and thus save him much time and trouble in finding it. Upon each side of this strip D are also formed pockets or holdingplaces, in which are cards I, containing the namesof all the persons whose mail should be deposited in that particular box. If the owner of the box has a Jfamily and the post-office clerk is uncertain in regard to Whether the letter should be placed in that box or not, he has only to draw out the slide, upon which the names of all of the family are written, and he will see at a glance whether the letter belongs to that box. This not only saves the clerks much time and trouble, but prevents any mistakes in the distribution of the mail.

This slide is also adapted to be applied to pigeon holes in which papers of different kinds are led. By writing the contents of each hole upon a card and placing this card upon the slide, a person can see at once what the contents of each box is without the necessity of having to remove the contents ot' each one and examine it. .i

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination, with a post-oice or other similar box provided with a divisionwall having a longitudinal pocket, of a slide placed therein having a pocket on each side thereof, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a post -oiiice or other similar box having a division-wall provided with a longitudinal pocket, of a slide having pockets on its front portion, whereby the slide will be supported in the pocket in a partially-withdrawn position and in this position free access had to the pockets, sub- 4. The combination, with a postofoe oi' In testimony whereof l affix my signature in other similar box having a division-Wall propresence of two witnesses. vided with a longitudinal pocket, of a slide FREDERICK DEMORES'I. having longitudinal U-shaped flanges on onel M BERT 5 edge and transverse U-shaped Hanges which Vitnesses:

communicate therewith for forming a pocket, JAKE SCHOMBERG,

substantially as described. GEO. M. TITUS. 

